LAAAWPAC

Los Angeles African American Woman Political Action Committee

Empowering African Americans through political change.

LAAAWPAC was the first African American women’s political action committee formed in the state of California. It was founded in 1991 to bring African American women squarely into the political arena to support individuals and issues that address the social, economic, and educational concerns of the African American community. LAAAWPAC has taken up the challenge to educate our community regarding the political process so that the electorate can make informed voting decisions on issues that affect their well-being. We have sponsored candidate and issues forums, and we have developed and hosted workshops that have dealt with issues of health, education, and business. We have worked with other women’s organizations in California and specifically in Los Angeles through roundtables and seminars to encourage women to become involved in the political process as candidates, campaign managers, and as appointees to boards and commissions. Most importantly, we have raised funds for countless numbers of candidates and ballot initiatives, including our first 1991 donation to the Honorable Barbara Lee in her first campaign for the California Legislature; and, our last donation to the Honorable Kamala Harris in her run for the United States Senate

The Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee has also hosted Women’s Awards Days celebrating and honoring women with the LAAAWPAC Power PAC Award who have attained wide spread success in the areas of business, politics, education, labor, and the arts leading to the formulation of good public policies in these areas of interest. Our honorees have included The Honorable Barbara Jordan (our very first honoree), Rosa Parks, L.A. County Supervisors Gloria Molina and Yvonne Burke, Congresswomen Juanita McDonald Millender and Diane Watson, former Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun. We have honored actress Debbie Allen, film director Julie Dash, and the former General Manager for the L.A. Cultural Affairs Department, Margie Reese. Our business honorees have included Janice Bryant Howroyd of Act 1 Personnel, Maxine Ransom Von Phul of Winmax Construction, Cynthia Marshall, former Vice President of Regulatory at California AT&T and recently retired Senior Vice President with AT&T Services, Inc., and Sandra Evers Manly, President of Northrop Grumman Foundation. We have honored countless women in labor and those women who head community based organizations that help the less fortunate in our communities. We currently hold an event called “Breakfast on the Block” a morning forum where the community can come and meet, greet, and mingle with our various elected officials to discuss public policy issues. As you can see, the Los Angeles African American Women’s Political Action Committee has a full plate of activities. We are proud of our organization and we have filled a void in the political arena and still remain the only active African American women’s political action committee in Southern California, and one of the very few nationwide.